Vehicle-body



A. L. MILKS. VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED muse. 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- l/IIII/II/IIII/III 16 A.L.Mil7f5 WITNESSES,

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

zen of the United States, residing at Par- ALVIN L. mLxs, or reasons,

VEHICLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1920. Serial No. 355,135.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALVIN L. MILKS, acitison's, in the State of Kansas, have invented 'new and usefulImprovements in vVehicle- Bodies, of which the following is aspecification. v

This invention relates to vehicle bodies adapted for use either uponfarm wagons or upon motor trucks, and has for its object the provisionof a body which is convertible whereby it may be formed into a box bodyor a stake body. a

An important object .is the provision of a body of this characterincluding novel hinge members which connect the sides and ends of thebody and yet which may be movable whereby the sides and ends may bedisposed upright orvlaid flat to form continuations of the bottom, thehinge construction including means for holding the sides and endsimmovable in either selected position.

-Anadditional object is theprovision of-a device of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient in use,durable in service, and a general improvement in the art. a

With the above and other objects and advantages in' view the inventionconsists in the details, of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings 111which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a body constructed in accordance withmy invention,

- Fig.2 is a rear elevation,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the parts arranged toform a stake body, and v The remaining figures are detail views.

- Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designatesthe side sills which are suitably connected by cross bars 11 upon whichare secured boards forming the bottom 12. The sills 10 and bars 11extend beyond the bottom and-have their outer ends provided withrecesses 13. The numerals 14 and 15 designate the sides and ends,respectively, which are of the same height.

Secured to the sides 14 and ends 15 are bars 16 which are of greaterlength than the height ofthe sides and ends and which are connected withthe sills 10 or bars 11, as the necessary movement of the bars 16.

KANSAS, assreivoa or ONE-HALE r0 HARRY- s." Mimi's,

or ransons, KANSAS.

Patented Dec. 7, 19 20.

case may be, by bolts 17 extending from? the SlllS or bars and engagingwithin elongated slots 18 in the bars 16. By this connection it will beseen that the bars 16 are pivotally and also slidably connected with the$1118 or cross bars- The bars 16 are preferably formed of metalconstructed and having the nature of open frames and they are arrangedwith the. sills or cross bars e'x-I tending through the open portionsthereof.

Formed within the extreme upper portions of the bars 16 are sockets 19for a urpose to be hereinafter described. formed on the bars 16 belowthe sockets 19 are cars 20 between whicharepivotally mounted brace arms21 formed slightly. an-

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gular in shape and having their free-ends provided with spring-pressedcatches 22 adapted to engage within the notches or recesses 13. Alsoformed upon the inner edges of the braces 21 are shoulders 23 which areat certain .times adapted to be engaged with similar shoulders 24carried by the sills and cross bars. 'Secured beneath the sills andcross-bars are strips or blocks 25 provided with recesses 26 adapted toreceive the catches 22 when the brace arms 21 are in certain positions.7

When the device is extended to be used as a box body the sides and ends14 and 15 are arranged in upright position with their ends in abuttingengagement and the bars or frames 16 are also in upright position withthe spring-pressed catches 22 engaged within the recesses 13. I

When it is desired to convert the body into a platform 01' stake body,the catches 22 are disengaged from the recesses 13 and the bars 16,together with the sides and ends, are swung downwardly into horizontalposition with the sides and ends forming continuations of the bottom 12,the bolt and slot connections 17 and 18 permitting lt he 1e brace barsare also of course swung downwardly and are arranged beneath the' sillsor beneath the Crossbars, as the case may be, with the spring-pressedcatches 22 engaging within therecesses 26. The sides and endswhichwillthen be disposed in horizontal position will be supported in thisposition and be prevented from swinging downwardly. At the same time anyupward swinging of the sides and ends will be prevented by engagement ofthe shoulders 23 and 24. When the device is in this position it ma beadvisable to provide stakes 27 inserte through the-sockets 19. v Fromthe .foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed device and yetone which-is readily convertible from one type of body into another andwhich will justed position.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it IS ofcourse to be understood that I reserve the right tmake such changes in the form, constructio and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invenytion or the scope of thesubjoined' claims.

Having thus described my invention, I c a1 i 15 A vehicle bodycomprising side sills con ected b cross bars, a bottom supported uponsaid 81118 and cross bars, side and end members, bars secured to theside and end votally connected with the members and pi "ills or crossbars, with said bars nd detachably connected with the sills or crossbars for holding said es-and ends in upright position, said sides remainrigidly in adbrace members connected and ends being swing'able outwardlyand downwardly whereby to form continuations of the bottom, and meansengageable by said races for preventing further downward movement of thesides and ends, said means comprising strips secured beneath the sillsand cross bars and engageable by said braces.

2. A vehicle body comprising longitudinal sills connected by cross bars,a bottom secured upon said sills and cross bars and terminating short ofthe ends thereof, the projecting ends of the sills and cross bars beingprovided with. recesses, side and end members, bars secured to the-sidesand ends and pivotally and longitudinally slidably connected with thesills or cross bars, braces pivotallyconnected with said bars, catchmembers carried by the free ends of said braces and engageable withinsaid recesses, and strips securedbeneath the sills and cross bars andrecessed for engagement by said catch members when said sides and endsand bars are swung downwardly and outwardly with the sides and endsforming continuations of-the bottom.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALVIN L. MILKS.

